Quincy Monday hand raise at the 2025 Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov International.
Monday grabs gold, three Americans move to finals at Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov International
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
VARNA, Bulgaria – Quincy Monday was the lone men’s freestyle medalist for Team USA on Saturday at the 2025 Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov International. He defeated returning champion Ivan Kusyak of Ukraine, 9-2, for the 74 kg gold medal.
A tight match early turned into a comfortable lead thanks to a takedown-to-turn sequence for Monday while his opponent was on the shot clock. Monday opened up a 5-0 lead in the first period and cemented the match with a similar takedown-to-lace combination in the second frame.
Monday finished with a 4-0 record for the event, which included a signature 12-0 technical fall win over 2023 World bronze medalist Ramazan Ramazanov of Bulgaria in the opening round. It is his second international gold medal and fourth international medal overall. Monday wrapped up a superb January tour that included a silver medal run at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix in addition to his Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov title.
Past NCAA All-American Liam Cronin dropped a tight 4-1 decision to Roman Hutsuliak of Ukraine in the 57 kg bronze medal match to finish in fourth place. Cronin led on criteria, 1-1, in the final minute of the bout, but surrendered a single leg takedown with 15 seconds remaining to give up the lead. He was a moment too late converting a desperation takedown at the buzzer. An official challenge confirmed the call, giving Hutsuliak the win.
Four Team USA athletes competed in the third and final wave of men’s freestyle weights to hit the mats in Bulgaria. 2024 Olympian Mason Parris, 2023 World bronze medalist Zahid Valencia and 2023 U.S. World Team member Chance Marsteller each qualified for Sunday’s gold medal round.
Parris made quick work of his two opponents at 125 kg. He posted 10-0 technical fall wins over Dian Manev of Bulgaria and Yurii Idzinskyi of Ukraine to move to the finals. Idzinskyi was a returning finalist at the event and a fifth-place finisher at the 2022 U23 World Championships.
The heavyweight final pits Parris against defending champion Georgi Ivanov of Bulgaria. Ivanov outlasted American Jordan Wood, 5-4, in the semifinal round. Wood, a 2014 U17 World silver medalist, dropped into a bronze medal match where he will face Adel Bakar of Bulgaria.
Valencia and Marsteller will meet in the 86 kg finals after torching all comers on Saturday. Valencia went 3-0 with three technical falls, putting up 41 total points. Marsteller had a similar offensive onslaught with two technical falls and a pin in his three bouts.
The men’s freestyle tournament continues at 11 a.m. local time/4 a.m. (ET) on Sunday with the group three (86-97-125 kg) repechage rounds. The medal matches will follow an hour later.
A live stream of the Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov is available for free on the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation YouTube Channel. Complete brackets and updated results are available on UWW Arena.
2025 Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov International #
At Varna, Bulgaria, January 25 #
Men’s Freestyle Results #
Final Results (Group Two) #
57 kg #
Gold – Nika Zangaladze (Georgia)
Silver – Ivaylo Tisov (Bulgaria)
Bronze – Roman Hutsuliak (Ukraine
4th – Liam Cronin (United States)
5th – Brandon Courtney (United States)
6th – Tanyo Tanev (Bulgaria)
7th – Guesseppe Rea Villarroel (Ecuador)
Gold – Nika Zangaladze (Georgia) tech. fall Ivaylo Tisov (Bulgaria), 15-2
Bronze – Roman Hutsuliak (Ukraine) dec. Liam Cronin (United States), 4-1
65 kg #
Gold – Mikyay Naim (Bulgaria)
Silver – Murad Hagverdiyev (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Erik Arushanian (Ukraine)
Bronze – Gigi Kurkhuli (Georgia)
5th – Erdal Galip (Bulgaria)
5th – Ivan Badavrov (Bulgaria)
7th – Nikoloz Beshidze (Georgia)
8th – Simeon Panayotov (Bulgaria)
9th – Nikola Stefanov (Bulgaria)
Gold – Mikyay Naim (Bulgaria) dec. Murad Hagverdiyev (Azerbaijan), 2-2
Bronze – Erik Arushanian (Ukraine) tech. fall Erdal Galip (Bulgaria), 10-0
Bronze – Gigi Kurkhuli (Georgia) dec. Ivan Badavrov (Bulgaria), 5-0
74 kg #
Gold – Quincy Monday (United States)
Silver – Ivan Kusyak (Ukraine)
Bronze – Presiyan Mihov (Bulgaria)
Bronze – Ramazan Ramazanov (Bulgaria)
5th – Gigi Subtirica (Romania)
5th – Zurab Kapraev (Romania)
7th – Elroy Perkin (United States)
8th – Giorgi Rigvava (Georgia)
9th – Saba Kobakhidze (Georgia)
10th – Stiliyan Dzhorov (Bulgaria)
Gold – Quincy Monday (United States) dec. Ivan Kusyak (Ukraine), 9-2
Bronze – Presiyan Mihov (Bulgaria) dec. Gigi Subtirica (Romania), 3-3
Bronze – Ramazan Ramazanov (Bulgaria) forfeit Zurab Kapraev (Romania)
Gold Medal Match Pairings (Group Three) #
86 kg #
Zahid Valencia (United States) vs. Chance Marsteller (United States)
125 kg #
Mason Parris (United States) vs. Georgi Ivanov (Bulgaria)
Semifinal Results (Group Three) #
86 kg #
Zahid Valencia (United States) tech. fall Matthew Finesilver (Israel), 11-0
Chance Marsteller (United States) fall Tornike Samkharadze (Georgia), 1:15
125 kg #
Mason Parris (United States) tech. fall Yurii Idzinskyi (Ukraine), 10-0
Georgi Ivanov (Bulgaria) dec. Jordan Wood (United States), 5-4
Round Robin Bracket Results (Group Three) #
97 kg #
Round One – Andriyan Valkanov (Bulgaria) dec. Mert Slavov (Bulgaria), 6-0
Round One – Ahmed Bataev (Bulgaria) tech. fall Georgian Tripon (Romania), 10-0
Round Two – Vasyl Sova (Ukraine) fall Andriyan Valkanov (Bulgaria), 1:47
Round Two – Ahmed Bataev (Bulgaria) tech. fall Mert Slavov (Bulgaria), 10-0
Round Three – Georgian Tripon (Romania) dec. Andriyan Valkanov (Bulgaria), 9-2
Round Three – Vasyl Sova (Ukraine) tech. fall Mert Slavov (Bulgaria), 13-3
Records after day one: Bataev (2-0), Sova (2-0), Tripon (1-1), Valkanov (1-2), Slavov (0-3)
U.S. Men’s Freestyle Results (Group Two) #
57 kg – Brandon Courtney (Avondale, Ariz./Atreus WC), 5th place
LOSS Nika Zangaladze (Georgia), 8-3
LOSS Ivaylo Tisov (Bulgaria), fall, 1:44
WIN Tanyo Tanev (Bulgaria), fall, 1:31
57 kg – Liam Cronin (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska WTC), 4th place
LOSS Roman Hutsuliak (Ukraine), 6-3
WIN Guesseppe Rea Villarroel (Ecuador), tech. fall, 11-0
LOSS Ivaylo Tisov (Bulgaria), 3-2
LOSS Roman Hutsuliak (Ukraine), 4-1
74 kg – Quincy Monday (Princeton, N.J./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC), gold medal
WIN Ramazan Ramazanov (Bulgaria), tech. fall, 12-0
WIN Giorgi Rigvava (Georgia), 8-3
WIN Zurab Kapraev (Romania), 3-0
WIN Ivan Kusyak (Ukraine), 9-2
74 kg – Elroy Perkin (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Force RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 7th place
LOSS Gigi Subtirica (Romania), 13-12
U.S. Men’s Freestyle Results (Group Three) #
86 kg – Chance Marsteller (Reading, Pa./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC), gold medal match
WIN Grigor Chernakov (Bulgaria), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Matthew Finesilver (Israel), tech. fall, 12-2
WIN Tornike Samkharadze (Georgia), fall, 1:15
VS Zahid Valencia (United States)
86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), gold medal match
WIN Tornike Samkharadze (Georgia), tech. fall, 12-2
WIN Kiro Mihov (Bulgaria), tech. fall, 18-5
WIN Matthew Finesilver (Israel), tech. fall, 11-0
VS Chance Marsteller (United States)
125 kg – Mason Parris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC), gold medal match
WIN Dian Manev (Bulgaria), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Yurii Idzinskyi (Ukraine), tech. fall, 10-0
VS Georgi Ivanov (Bulgaria)
125 kg – Jordan Wood (Gilbertsville, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC/New York AC), bronze medal match
WIN Giga Shavadze (Georgia), 8-1
LOSS Georgi Ivanov (Bulgaria), 5-4
VS Adel Bakar (Bulgaria)
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